How we check prices.
A wrong price is worse than no price. Here is exactly where every number comes from.
Where prices come from
Every price is read on the maker's own pricing page, never copied from a blog or another directory. Each one carries the date we read it and a link to that page. If we can't read a price at the source, the app shows "Price not yet verified" instead of a number we guessed.
We use the regular US price of the main plan for one person, before tax. Launch discounts and first-year promos are ignored, because they end.
How we keep them current
A program re-reads every pricing page on a schedule. When a page still shows the same price, the "checked" date moves forward. When it shows something different, a person compares the page with the old price before anything changes on this site. A few vendors block automated reading; we check those by hand every month.
How the receipt adds up
- Big apps are counted at 12 times the monthly price, or at the yearly price if you choose "I pay yearly".
- Indie apps are counted at their cheapest way to use them for a year: a one-time price, a yearly plan or 12 months.
- "You could keep" is the first-year difference. A one-time app costs nothing in year two, so the real gap usually grows.
What counts as indie
- Solo maker: one person builds and runs it.
- Small team: an independent team, roughly under 50 people.
- Open source: a community project whose code is public.
- Independent company: bigger than a small team, but not owned by a big tech company.
An app acquired by a big company leaves the list. Each listing links to where we confirmed who makes it.
Corrections
Anyone can report a wrong price. We re-check it and update the date.
How we make money
Listings are free. We sell labelled sponsor slots and featured weeks, described on the advertise page. Money never changes a price, a ranking or a comparison. We don't use affiliate links that would pay us more for one app than another.